Features

Griffiths Bags Winner At Wrexham

PUBLISHED

21:52 16th July 2013

Wolves come from behind again in friendly.

Wrexham 1 (Harris 12)

Wolves 2 (Cassidy 51, Griffiths 60)

After an opening 45 minutes when they fell behind and struggled to get to grips with a lively Wrexham side, Wolves hit back after the break thanks to goals from Jake Cassidy, and Leigh Griffiths who looks as if he could be playing a major role in the season that lies ahead.

Wolves took to the field wearing their new lilac strip for the first time on an idyllic summer’s evening. There was just two changes from the team that had started against Livingstone with Wayne Hennessey making a welcome return in goal and Liam McAlinden who took the place of the injured Björn Sigurdarson.

The first chance of the game arrived in the sixth minute when skipper Sam Ricketts tried to place a shot from 22-yards but his effort went over the bar.

Steve Tomassen’s long throw into the box caused a few moments of consternation for the visiting defence before Bakary Sako booted clear at the second attempt.

Wrexham moved ahead in the 12th minute after Ricketts was penalised for a shove on Kevin Thornton to the right of the Wolves box. Thornton took the free-kick himself pulling the ball back into the path of Jay Harris who drilled a low shot from the edge of the area just inside the near post.

Sako used his strength and speed to outstrip Tomassen but the winger’s low cross from the by-line was booted clear by a defender. Then Harris almost added to his tally as he hit a shot from 25-yards that only just cleared the bar.

In the 37th minute, Junior N’Tame cleared behind from in front of his own goal after Sako had played Griffiths in on the overlap. Although Sako’s corner, Wolves’ first of the game, was cleared, moments later Sako hit a tremendous shot from 20-yards that drew an equally good save from Wrexham keeper Joslain Mayebi.

Griffiths dragged an angled shot narrowly wide of the far post before Harris tested Hennessey with a stinging effort that drew a double handed, diving save from the Welsh keeper.

Right on half-time Griffiths almost broke through but N’Tame managed to shepherd the ball out for a corner that was taken by Griffiths. But he over-hit the flag-kick and the ball drifted harmlessly behind on the far side.

Half-Time: Wrexham 1 Wolves 0

Kenny Jackett made five changes to his side for the new half whilst Wrexham just swopped keepers.

Wolves should have been level just three minutes after the resumption as Griffiths raced down the left and hit a low cross that Cassidy, one of the substitutes, failed to make proper contact with from right in front of goal.

But he made no mistake in the 51st minute after Griffiths again carved out the opening. The striker chased a long through ball from Richard Stearman to the line before squaring for Cassidy to convert from point blank range.

And Griffiths deservedly got in on the act himself on the hour mark as he cut in from the left and arrowed a low shot into the far corner of the net from just inside the box.

Over the next nine minutes there were ten replacements to the home team.

But it was Wrexham’s replacement keeper, Andy Coughlin, that then kept the score down to two in the final third of the game. He made superb saves twice in as many minutes to stop the rampant Griffiths.

Then, after 77 minutes, he palmed away a low shot from Cassidy before he made a flying save to keep out a well-directed header from Griffiths.